Posts by Author: John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Everything you need to know about paper backdrops with 2 money saving DIYP tips
Sep 6, 2017
John Aldred
Choosing a backdrop for use in the studio largely comes down to personal preference. I rarely shoot in the studio, so I tend to go…
The Nude Blogger scores a point against Instagram and social media censorship
Sep 4, 2017
John Aldred
We all know how important social media platforms are these days for promotion our brand. In the case of Australian blogger, Jessa O’Brien, (a.k.a. thenudeblogger),…
Discover the darkroom secrets of legendary photographer Edward Weston
Sep 4, 2017
John Aldred
I’ve been fascinated with the darkroom ever since I started shooting film. For years it was this mysterious thing that I’d never be good enough…
Photonicz is a Strobe/LED hybrid that can take a splash and keep working
Sep 4, 2017
John Aldred
So, this is an interesting, if rather unusual idea. Photonicz is an LED based strobe (a world’s first, apparently) designed to offer the advantages of…
Sony’s new RX0 action camera shoots 1080p up to 1,000fps and outputs uncompressed 4K video
Sep 1, 2017
John Aldred
It’s not often a piece of new kit leaves me lost for words, but the new Sony RX0 action camera has left me kind of…
How to create natural looking window light on set with artificial lights
Sep 1, 2017
John Aldred
Creating big soft natural looking window light on set presents some real challenges. Whether it’s for stills or photography, it’s not always straightforward. Sometimes we…
Spekular LEDs are like a Swiss army knife for lighting
Aug 31, 2017
John Aldred
Just when you think you’ve seen all LED lighting panels that the world can have, here comes a new LED light that makes you open…
The new Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III adds 4K video and 121 point AF system
Aug 31, 2017
John Aldred
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II was pretty much everything anybody could want in an entry level mirrorless camera. It’s fairly inexpensive, small, feels like…
How to fake realistic background blur in Photoshop in 3 simple steps
Aug 30, 2017
John Aldred
Shooting with 200mm f/2, 135mm f/1.8 and 105mm f/1.4 lenses is the dream of many portrait photographers. But such lenses are not inexpensive. We may…
The first fully analogue Instax camera is coming but it’s not made by Fuji
Aug 30, 2017
John Aldred
Thanks to companies like Fujifilm and Impossible, instant photos are well and truly back, and they’re here to stay. While the Polaroid concept has always…